Those who are part of the rental market are sadly often subjected to the kind of backyard that you usually see on a bland American sitcom: flat lawn, uninspired pathways and not too much else in the way of anything pretty. Landlords usually don’t want to be too bothered with things like landscaping, which is a shame. Sometimes you get lucky and you get a great backyard with some incredible things in it – like fruit trees – and you can tend to it and care for it, but still not change much.
When you own your home, however, you have the options to landscape it as much as you want, and this short guide is about how to create an outdoor oasis which is perfect for your home. After all, sometimes starting something like an outdoor landscaping project can be overwhelming and you want to make sure that you have things figured out before you get started. Take a look here at how to create the perfect backyard for your home.
What do you use your backyard for?
Before you actually get started on the landscaping, you need think about what you use your outdoor space for. Is it:
Entertaining – having friends over and social events?
Cooking/eating – do you barbecue a lot and have dinner on the patio?
Relaxing – is your garden your sanctuary?
Playing – are the kids always out running around under the sprinkler?
Gardening – are rose bushes your prized pieces?
Pets – do Fido and Rex rule the roost ?
Swimming – does the pool take pride of place in your backyard?
Sports – are tennis and croquet key?
You also need to look at things like:
Sunny and shady areas
Views and levels in the garden
Water flow and drainage
Because these are going to dictate where and what you are planting or laying in the garden.
After you’ve established the use of the garden and the considerations for planting, you can start to look at the soil type and the nutrients that you have. It’s very important that your soil has the right kind of nutrients so that it can support the kind of plant material that you have chosen. The soil can be sand, clay or rock, and this can dictate what kinds of plants you’re going to be able to grow. If you’re in Perth, this landscaper can run some tests for you.
You need to know your planting zone so that you know what to plant and when. The planting zone takes things like temperature and average rainfall into consideration, and it will help your garden to thrive by choosing plants that are right for the conditions.
After you’ve established the kinds of plants you can plant, you need to look at the way in which water behaves in your backyard. If there are areas where water drains quickly, you’ll want to plant plants that prefer dry conditions in those spots, and conversely if there are areas where water lingers, you’ll plant the water-loving plants there.
After all this, you can think about the style of the landscaping that you’ll be doing. This can take things like the interior style of your home into consideration, so that if you have a largely zen, Japanese-styled interior in your home, you can make the garden an extension of your home.
Functionality is a key thing to think about when you’re creating your new garden, after all if it’s beautiful but largely unusable,the garden won’t work for a family space. You need to strike the right balance between accessibility and aesthetics.
Good luck with creating the garden of your dreams and remember to turn to the internet for inspiration if you find yourself lacking.
Jenny Revell
Jenny Revell is a passionate landscape designer in Perth, committed to developing landscape design concepts that reflect the style and individuality of her clients.